Undergarment.



C. ERLANGER.

UNDERGARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2I. 1916.

1,293,064. Patefited. Feb. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES. INVE/VTUR A TTORNEYS' C. ERLANGER.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CHARLES ERLANGER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. V. D.COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

UNDERG-ARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4:, 1919.

Application filed April 21, 1916. Serial No. 92,624.

.suits with rear flap construction in which the flap comprises aseparate, individual element lncorporated into the garment by sewing orotherwise. My improvement further contemplates a rear flap constructionin which seams or the like are avoided at points where they might beuncomfortable to the wearer at any time and which provides for an oening of maximum area when the flap is own. My invention will be fullydescribed hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which show two specific embodiments of myinvention, Figures 1 and. 2 are rear elevations of a union suit showingone form of m improvement, the flaps being shown close and openin therespectlve figures and Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views showing anotherform of my improved construction.

As shown in the drawings the garments comprise the usual upper bodysection 5 and -lower section 6 having the usual leg members 7 allconstructed of woven material, the sections 5 and 6 in the illustratedexample bein connected together by means of an elastlc knitted waistband8. course be understood that the garment proper may be of any otherusual construction and further that it may include any and all featurescommonly. present in garments of the type under dlscussion. It will alsobe apparent that the sleeveless and knee length garments have beenutilized in the drawings simply for illustrative purposes,

' and that my invention in its various forms is not limited to use withthis type of union suit.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the flap 9 comprises two sections of wovenmaterial joined together by means of a seam 10 extending It will of'lengthwise of the flap preferably on the center line thereof. In thecomplete flap the outer edges 11 converge toward the free end edge 12which latter, in the illustrated example extends transversely of thegarment at substantially right angles to the longitudinal median linethereof. At its lower end the flap is continued in the form of twoextensions 13 having lower end edges 14 which extend toward each otherat substantially right angles to each of the outer edges 11 and shortinner edges 15 extending to the seam 10. In the preferred constructionas to this form, the lower end edges 14 are each secured to a leg member7 by stitching 16 while the inner edges 15 are secured in place bystitching 17, the latter preferably forming continuations of the'inseams 18 of the leg members 7. At or near its upper edge the flap 9is provided with button holes 19 or similar fastening devices adapted tocooperate with buttons 20 or other fastening means secured to thegarment section 6 and whereby the flap is maintained in its closedposition as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the flap 9 in thisclosed position completely closes and covers the rear opening 21 of thegarment, which opening extends downwardly below the crotch as also shownin Fig. 1, the stitchings 16 being thus also located below said crotchand extending adjacent to the lower ends of the opening 21. It will beunderstood that the lower section 6 and the leg members 7 of the garmentare properly cut to provide the opening 21 which as shown has outsideedges converging toward the top and short inside edges converging towardthe crotch from the lower edges of the opening which latter correspondas to direction to the lower edges 14 of the flap.

When the fastening devices 19-20 have been disengaged and the flap 9turned down it will be seen that theentire opening 21 is uncovered asshown in Fig. 2. The stitch with the flap open. At other times the flapsponding to the seam and differs from the flap 9 in that the extensions13 extend down to the lower ends of the leg members 7 and form a partthereof as shown in Fig. 3. The 15 extensions 13 have their inner edgessecured in the garment by stitching 18 which may form the inseams of theleg members 7 and their outer edges fastened to the adjacent portions ofthe leg members 7 by stitching 2) 18 which extends up to shorttransverse seams 16 corresponding to and located approximately the sameas the stitching 16 of Figs. 1 and 2. Above the seams 16 the'flap 9 isfree from the leg members 7 and lower garment section 6 and is securedin its closed position in any suitable manner as by buttons and buttonholes 19 and 20. The flap 9 in its closed position also completelycovers the rear opening 21 the latter being approximately the same asthe opening 21 excepting that it is not provided with lower transverseedges. In other words the lower parts of the opening 21 when the flap 9is open are defined by the turned down flap itself so that it ispossible with this structure to secure an even larger opening than inthe form first described. It will of course be understood that thegarment section 6 and the leg members 7 are suitably 40 cut to properlycombine with the flap and its extensions 13. This form of myimprovement-also possesses the advantages recited in favor of the formshown in Figs. 1 and 2. i

It will thus be seen that in both of the illustrated examples of myimprovement union suits of woven fabric, in contradistinction togarments constructed of knitted material, have been provided with flapsof woven material which are constructed as included as an integral partand is formed by cutting the garment fabric to a predetermined pattern.By locating the stitchings 16 and 16 below the crotch and by forming theopenings 21 and 21" in the manner described, a rear opening of maximumvextent is secured, the advantages of which will be apparent. Furthermoreuncomfortable binding when the wearer assumes a sitting position withthe fiap down is avoided and the fabric and all parts of thegarment arerelieved of unnecessary and undue strain. My improvements also reducewaste of material to a minimum.

It will of course be' understood that in some cases the flaps 9 and 9may each be constructed of a single piece of woven fabric instead ofcomprising two sections joined together by the seams 10 and 10 as in theillustrated examples.

Various changes in the specific constructions shown and described may bemade within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

I claim:

1. In a union suit, a lower section having leg members and provided witha rear opening ext-ending below the crotch into the leg members, a flapfor covering and uncovering said opening located entirely within theouter lines defining the outer confines of the garment, said flap havingextensions diverging downwardly and projecting below the crotch into theleg sections, the inner edge of each extension alining with and forminga continuation of an inseam of the leg members, the outer edges thereofbeing located intermediate of said outer lines and theinseams of thegarment, and the lower edges of said extensions extending from the outeredges thereof to said inseams, and stitching located in the leg sectionsbelow the crotch and extending transversely to and inwardly from theouter edges of the extensions for securing said flap to the garment andfor determining the lines upon which it may be folded downwardly.

2. In a union suit, a lower section having leg members and provided witha rear opening extending below the crotch into the leg members, a flapfor said opening having its outer edges converging upwardly and locatedbetween the inseams of the garment and the lines defining the outerconfines thereof, said flap having extensions projecting below thecrotch into the leg sections, the outer edges of said extensions formingcontinuations of the outer edges of the flap, the inner edges of eachflap being in registry with the inseams of said leg members, and thelower edges of said extensions extending from the outer edges thereof tosaid inseams, stitching located in the leg" sections below the crotchand: extending transversely to and inwardly from the outer edges ofsaid-extensions for securing said flap to the garment and fordetermining the hnes upon which it may be folded downwardly andstitching'for securing the inner edges of said extensions in saidgarment, the latter stitching being in registry with 130 and formingcontinuations of said inseams of the leg members.

3. In a union suit of woven fabric, a lower section having leg membersout transversely at points below the crotch along lines inclinedupwardly in opposite directions from the inseams, then upwardly atpoints between the inseams and the lines defining the outer confines ofthe garment along lines converging upwardly to form a rear openingextending below the crotch, a flap of Woven fabric for said rear openinghaving diverging extensions projecting below the crotch, the lower edgeof each extension being parallel with and contignous to the lower edgesof said opening below the crotch, the inner edges of said extensionsbeing in registry with and forming continuations of the inseams of theleg members and the common outer edges of the extensions and flap beingparallel with and contiguous to the upwardly converging edges of saidopening and stitching in the leg members extending along the lower edgeof each extension for securing the flap to the garment and fordetermining the lines upon which-said flap may be folded downwardl Intestimony whereof I ave my hand. e e 7 CHARLES ER LANGER,

hereunto set

